Cueva Ventana: A View Like No Other

La Cueva Ventana: Una Vista Espectacular

We like to discover and write about little-known places to visit and things to do here in Puerto Rico. Cueva Ventana was one of those places. There was not a lot of information available about it, though once we figured it out, it was very easy to get to. And the view is fantastic!

I do a lot of research when searching for some of the more unusual things to do around the island. Some places are more difficult to find information about than others. I’m usually able to find bits and pieces of information scattered across many different sources. Only once I put the whole puzzle together are we able to actually figure out how to find the place we’re looking for. Update 2012- Now there is a lot of information about this cave available all over the internet and it is much more frequently visited. I wonder if we had anything to do with that!

Finding Cueva Ventana was like that. Back in early 2010, it was one of those secret places that only locals and tour guides know about. And then I told everyone about the local secret. I thought this was a really cool place! Cueva Ventana translates into Window Cave, and one look at the photo explains why they call it that.

Cueva Ventana is located in Arecibo, close to the Arecibo/Utuado border, just off of Route 10. It is amazingly easy to get to once you know how. Actually, there are 2 caves here that one can enter — and they are right next to each other.

We went recently with my brother John and his wife Chris. It was a fun trip.

Trip Preparation

First off, we knew we needed to do some planning. Flashlights or headlamps are a must. Even though both caves are open on both ends, the middle is dark (especially Cueva Ventana). 10/13 Note- the price now includes use of a flashlight! The hike to the mouths of the caves is about 10-15 minutes, partly up-hill and partly in full sun — so bottles of water for everyone is a must. The caves are inhabited by bats, so there is a lot of guano dripping inside the cave — so antibacterial wipes are also good to have, to wipe your hands when you are done! Because the caves are in the karst region of the island, the cave floors are wet and slippery from the water leaching through the limestone — so shoes with some good grip are required. Once we had all that stuff, we were ready to go.

The Trip

The path leading to the caves is located on Route 10 at KM 75, right next to a Texaco gas station. To get to the cave, you used to have to park in the Puma gas station. But, as of March 2013, there is a free parking lot just for people visiting the cave.

As we continued following the trail, we eventually noticed a large tree on the left whose roots are going down into a cave opening. We entered the cave through this a back entrance to a second cave, and it is more difficult than using the main entrance which is by Ventana entrance. I REALLY suggest by-passing this entrance and following the trail. The trail will curve around and it will end up at the openings to two caves. We went into both.

Cueva Ventana is the cave on the left, with the steps going down into it. This cave has a bunch of very pretty formations — stalagmites and stalactites. It has a number of smaller caves, tunnels and hiding spots. It also has bats! But the goal is the window. We kept going through — and then we saw the light at the end. What a great view! We went out as far as we felt comfortable. One must be careful, it is a long way down and there is nothing to stop you from falling (except your own common sense to stay away from the edge). There is such a magnificent view of the green fields and river below.

The cave on the right is smaller and shorter. There is a large cavern inside, but to get down into it, we had to climb down a pretty slippery path. Be careful. We actually went in the back entrance (by the tree with the roots) which required some scaling down a 8-foot wall, just holding onto some tree roots. Chris thought is was really kinda scary! It was also a neat cave, but Chris was not pleased with the slippery path. One must use their best judgement when visiting these caves.

Since both caves are open on both ends, they were the warmest and windiest caves I have ever been in. And they didn’t smell bad either (considering the number of bats living there)! I found this to be an easy place to go and see caves. Since this place is located up in the mountains, unlike the underground Camuy Rio Caves that close if there is rain (since it floods), I bet this place would stay high and dry. One can visit both this cave and Camuy Rio Caves in the same day if they wanted since they are located in the same general area.

I have to say, the whole place (trails and caves) were really pretty clean. There was some graffiti and even some fake Taino petroglyphs, that are pretty recent, inside the caves, but if you look, you will find some real petroglyphs too. But all in all, very nice. And, please everyone, keep it clean and don’t abuse this beautiful place.

10/13- Note- They now offer guided tours and have people dressed as Tainos around, for pictures I guess. A bit cheesy.

Stuff You Need to Know

I think this adventure requires a moderate fitness level, due to the walk up and the slippery footings in the cave. One must have a decent flashlight or headlamp — the inside of Cueva Ventana is pitch black. The ground was dirt and relatively flat, but getting down into the caves was a bit tricky- you need to climb down slippery rocks. The owners also say it is for children 3 years and up, but I might wait until the kids are at least 5-6 years old. You are required to sign a liability release form.

Get there early. We arrived at 9:30am and we were alone for a while, and then the tour buses started showing up. When we drove back past the Texaco station 4 hours later, it was packed with cars and 2 large tour buses. If one goes during the week, I bet there will be many less people at almost any time of the day.

But one really good reason to go on a weekend is one can go about 10 minutes down the road and enjoy an afternoon at Lago dos Bocas. This lake offers a boat trip and restaurants, which we did and it turned out to be a great day.

Oh, and if you’re into geocaching — there is one inside Cueva Ventana!

The cave is open from 10am – 6:00pm Mon- Fri, 8:30am – 6:30pm Sat and Sundays and holidays. Last tour at 5pm. Tours are on the hour and as needed.

10/13- Admission to the cave is now $10 per person plus 7% IVU and it includes a flashlight and helmet and an informational booklet about the cave/area. Parking for the cave is free (go up the driveway to the left of the registration table). There are clean port-a-potties in the parking lot. Kids under 5 are free, but not recommended for kids under 3.

visit their website for more info: http://www.cuevaventanapr.com/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aventuracuevaventana

787-322-3554 or contact them via email at Aventuracuevaventana@gmail.com

They now offer NIGHT TOURS at times.! Guided walk along trails by torchlight, learning about night creatures inside the cave and out. Then a dinner in the forest. $70 per person. Offered Wednesday and Thursday nights 7pm. Takes about 1.5 hrs. Reservations required.

From the San Juan area, take Route 22 West to Route 10 South (exit 75B). Take Route 10 to KM75. There is a Puma gas station on the east side of the road. The trail head is to the right (south) of the Puma station with signs. Nice and easy to find!

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I just got back from my first trip to the island and your website provided an incredible resource for many off-the-beaten path adventures, Gozalandia Falls, Juan Diego Falls, hidden Rincon beaches. I can’t thank you enough for the wealth of reliable information. Your practical and down-to-earth accounts of your excursions were invaluable!

Your entry for the Window Cave was not on the site before we made our trip. However, we stayed at a B&B, TJ’s Ranch (highly recommended!), which was a few min from Lagos Dos Bocas in the mountains. They suggested to check out the Lake, as well as provided details on the hike to the Window Cave. The view from the cave was spectacular and made for a close day-trip from the B&B we stayed at.

I HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE ON SATURDAY WITH A FRIEND. THIS WEBSITE WAS A GREAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE TRIP AND BE PREPARE FOR IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCE I’VE EVER HAD. IM LOOKING FOWARD TO VISIT MORE THIS WEBSITE TO PLAN FUTURE TRIPS IN THE ISLAND. THANK YOU.

I found your site when looking for directions to this very cave. Thanks, you provide an invaluble service to everyone who loves to go off the beaten path in PR. I took my sister and her son to Cueva Ventana when they were visiting and they loved it. My nephew even saw a snake! It made his day. Your directions are outstanding and I recommend this site to everyone with questions on what to do in PR.

I, too, am very appreciative of the material contained within this website. I visited Cueva Ventana last week and had a blast. We arrived around 9:30 AM on a Saturday and saw many groups getting ready to hike up to the caves. We were able to outpace them and reach the cave with sufficient time to enjoy the vistas all by ourselves. After we finished exploring both caves, we set out to find the road that can be seen in the field below the cave. After a little searching, we were able to locate the caves up on the hills above route 123. There are two ways to reach 123 from Cueva Ventana. If you head south from the caves on route 10, you will need to drive a few miles through the entrance to the Bosque Estatal De Rio Abajo. There will be a sign on your left for a scenic viewpoint. Make a left turn onto route 621 and stay straight until you see a sign for 123. Turn left onto 123, following signs for PR – 123 (always left) until you reach a bridge over the Rio Grande de Arecibo. If you look up and to your left (westward) you will see people in a small opening in the rock face. This is Cueva Ventana from the other side! The other way to reach the view point is easier and requires you to drive north on route 10 from the caves until you reach a right turn around km 79. Stay right and you will find yourself on route 123. Head south on 123 until you get to the second bridge over the river. If you look up and to the right from the second bridge you will see the cave opening above.

I’m absolutely looking forward to visit this cave during my next trip to Puerto Rico. I would not have known about it if it weren’t for this great website. It’s hard to put into words how appreciative I am of the information on this site. Great, GREAT job.

This to me is the definition of an off-the-beaten-path excursion. Fun, unique, interesting, cool, and awe-inspiring are some words to describe it. Add to that a little excercise and sweat, the fact that it’s free, and a possibly a little mud, and you’ve got yourself the perfect activity to fill up a morning or afternoon. Definitely don’t forget to bring your camera, cause it’s a great photo opportunity.

I put the map into my head before we headed out, and it didn’t serve me well. I thought once we headed up the trail we would run into a series of Y’s, and you went right, right, left. I don’t know what I did wrong, but suddenly we were headed back down, and had to backtrack and try something different. It made for some extra hiking, but we ended up finding it, nonetheless. Definitely well worth the effort. We got to enjoy it alone with a young couple from Germany.

Like the above article mentions, definitely respect the paths and caves, and definitely keep it clean. That applies to anywhere you visit in Puerto Rico. Heck we actually picked up two potato chip bags we saw early on in the trail, and disposed of them properly.

I visited this cave with my husband and my mom. We loved it! The trail is really not that bad and the view at the end is worth the walk. Your website was amazingly helpfull. We would have never found this place or know which trail to follow had it not been for the detailed information provided here. Thanks, you guys are doing a great job!

Thank you very much for this detail post especially with the direction on how to get to the actual caves themselves. We drove and got there at around 10am. When we started to go down to the large cave, we could hear that there was a school group inside the cave. I have to say that if they were not already there, I am not sure if we would have been brave enough to walk into the pitch-black cave in order to see the other side. However, the view was breath-taking. It made our day!

When we were there in February 24th, the gas station did not charge us for parking there. It may have to do with whoever is working behind the cash register.

After the cave, we went to Salitre for lunch, and that was fantastic. We had the best baked king red snapper. All around, it was a great day.

I don’t know….the walk up to it is ok, but then the steps down into the cave are steep and slippery (not so much steps as stones and cut outs), the cave is large and dark and slippery and then there are no guard rails to stop an active kid from slipping out over the edge.

Went to the caves today, Dec 20, 2012, and was a great short diversion to our day. Parking was easy, parked on side of PR10 in the grassy area maybe 30-40 ft from the Texaco entrance (to the right (south) if facing the station). Saw several small tour groups of 5-10 people there but no one charged us any $ for anything. On right side of the Texaco walk up the hill and take the wide dirt trail/road to the right (to left is a new looking dirt road that workers were busy installing a new chain link fence along). Maybe 5-7 min up the trail is a fork, take left fork, another 2-3 min will see the entrance on left with the tree roots, go past it and around the curve for another 5 min and you’ll see the easier entrance with steps. Was a fabulous view from the cave mouth overlooking the lush green valley, well worth the total 40 min round trip.

Closed? Oh no! Will it be open again by next January? One of the commentors said, they are building some ladders, steps, and trails. That might be why it’s closed. If that’s the case, it will probably re-open. That’s too bad, I didn’t get to see it last time, and I liked it ‘cuz it was wild. Oh well. Hopefully they didn’t modernize it too much, and hopefully they at least kept the rope near the back enterance. I wanted to climb down it.

Went here with my mother in law, my 5 year old and my 11 year old in August… It was gorgeous!!! $5 to enter; free parking. The walk to the cave was not bad at all… they said 10-15 minutes and it pretty much was that. This was a spare of the moment thing. (We didn’t plan on coming here, just saw it on the side of the road, never heard of it) So we were wearing sandles and dresses.. lol.. and it was fine We were just careful. The entrance into the cave was pretty steep (they had a rope that you could hold onto as you went down, sort of like a railing, but I think that was more useful climbing back up than it was going down) but if you take your time and make sure your footing is good, then you’ll be fine. Even my 5 year old was able to do it with some help from her mommy of course . Definately would be harder to do with a smaller child but possible. You definately NEED a flashlight! I used my flashlight App on my phone…. lol. (cuz again, this wasn’t planned) Using JUST the light on ur phone screen, will not work!!! It is pitch black in there! You walk through for not even 2 minutes before you get to the “Window” and it is absoulutely breathe taking. We went right to the edge to take our pics OAN: When we went there was a man dressed in traditional Native American clothing. He basically was like their “unofficial” tour guide. He told us some history about the place and even helped my mother-in-law into the cave and to the window. He was super friendly, and carried around a conch shell (which he later stood on the rock near the “Window” and gave us a great pic of him blowing it loud !!! lol Great experience!!! Highly recommended!!!!

We are thinking of doing this trip and carrying our 1.5 year old son in our hiking backpack. Does anyone know if this would be allowed or if there are any potential issues with carrying a young child in a backpack through the cave?

We just went to the cave a couple days ago. I recommend getting there before 11am because massive buses yours and people from all over show up after 11am and the tour is then too crowded. It cost us $10 each you get a helmet and flash light and your guide that speaks Spanish and English. I have to say it was worth every penny. We got there at 10:30am our group went up at 11:15am and we finished at 1:30pm about 2 hours. When we were leaving massive groups followed and it looked too crowded. Enjoy!!

If anyone has the video of a young man kneeling in front of his girlfriend giving her an engagement ring at the waterfall La Mina in El Yunque , on June 21, 2014 please send it to me my mail. It is very important to me – my son asked me to record it but I made a mistake and it was not recorded. , I felt horrible, if someone was there and has it, please send it to me, I would be very grateful: Raquel.natal09 @ gmail.com thanks.

I visited when it was free, when it was $5 and now that it’s $10. I’ve always recommended this to friends visiting the island. It’s now officially off that list.

It’s simply not worth $10 per person. There’s a tour guide dressed as a taino, for heaven’s sake. The helmets are unnecessary. If they’re truly worried about the bats they might try keeping the groups small and not giving every single person a flashlight. There are LOADS of visitors now.

If you’ve NEVER been to a cave and you’ve got $10 to spare and you’re already in the area, it might be worth it. If you’re been to a cave before, you don’t need to see this one. If you’re adventurous, you’ll be bored here with the tour guide watching your every step. If you’re in San Juan, don’t drive to Arecibo just for this.

Oh, and you know how the article has two pictures of someone right at the mouth of the cave? The tour guides don’t let you get to that spot anymore. They make visitors stay waaay back from the ledge.

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Please re-confirm this information directly with the attraction or tour operator.

PuertoRicoDayTrips.com assumes no responsibility regarding your safety when participating in the activities described in this article.